Tour Of California Tech For Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Bell has a new aerodynamic road helmet that is making its debut at the Tour of California. The helmet looks to be well ventilated, a feature sure to appeal to many triathletes. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

The new Bell helmet features a retention system that can be fine-tuned with one hand on the fly, and a switch allows the wearer to open or close the vents to regulate air flow. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Bontrager looks to be on the cusp of releasing shoes using the Boa closures. Boa systems have long been popular with triathletes for their contribution to fast transition times, while not sacrificing fit and comfort. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Many saddle makers are getting in to the TT and triathlon saddle game. This Selle San Marco Concor Racing Sprint saddle features a short nose and a channel that runs almost the full length of the saddle. The goal is to alleviate pressure off of a rider’s perineum, placing most of the weight on the “sit bones.” Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Every second counts, and the small details matter. Giant-Shimano mechanics have wrapped up the Di2 wires around the brake cable housing, making for a very clean and aerodynamic setup. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Many BMC riders would contest the time trial using non-sponsor correct Lightweight disc wheels. The German company has long been the wheel of choice for European cycling professionals, even when it conflicts with sponsor obligations. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

American Taylor Phinney uses Fizik’s Tritone saddle. This is the Italian maker’s first foray into a ultra-short, noseless saddle design. Triathlon consumers will appreciate that the Tritone features optional hardware that can be used to cleanly integrate water bottles. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Phinney’s Dura Ace SRM was sporting a massive 56-tooth big ring. Most triathletes would be have a hard time pushing that massive gear, or might not have anything left for the run if they could manage. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

British company RaceWare makes a clever mount for the SRM PC7 that allows a rider to position the head unit cleanly just above the aero extensions. The only down-side to this setup is it would likely interfere with a triathlete’s hydration system. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

While many professional cyclists’ TT rigs are set up very cleanly with a high attention to detail, some make it clear that occasionally the job of setting the bike up just has to get done. With literally dozens of bikes that need attention on a daily basis, some are likely not as meticulously attended to as others. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

This is the Diamond Back of American Tom Zirbal. The paint scheme celebrates his 2013 Time Trial National Championship, but also conceals something else… The bike is actually a LaPierre, as Diamond Back do not yet have a time trial bicycle in production. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

While most triathletes are used to doing everything they can to move their saddles further forward, many cyclists are forced to find ways to push their saddles back due to strict UCI regulations. This setback seat post helps American time trial sensation Tom Zirbel get to where he needs to be. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Zirbel, like Phinney, pushes a massive gear on his time trial rig. A mechanical SRAM group handles shifting duties. Zirbel also choses to race without the data that a powermeter would provide. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

While many professional cyclists are embracing noseless saddle designs, some still prefer a more traditional shape, such as the Flite TT found on Tom Zirbel’s Diamond Back. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

SRAM gave us a sneak peek at their first foray into electronic drivetrain components, as an unidentified group was spotted on the bikes of some of the Bissell Development Team. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

An electronic drivetrain is good news for triathletes, as the possibility of multiple shifter locations offered by electronic groups can in turn lead to faster bike splits. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

The Pinarello Bolide of stage 2 time trial winner Sir Bradley Wiggins. As an Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France champion, you can rest assured that Wiggo knows how to go fast in races against the clock. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

The height of the cockpit is determined by the number of spacers placed under the forearm rests. While there appears to be a significant number of spacers here, Wiggo’s position is actually quite low in front. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Wiggins rode a new HED GT3 tubular front wheel. This is a new wider version of the company’s popular H3 design. With more and more professional cyclists choosing to race on slightly wider tires, HED felt it was appropriate to adjust the width of this popular wheel to optimize aerodynamics. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

Tour of California Tech for Triathletes

The entire Sky team is using Stages power meters, which are a simple and affordable solution for athletes wanting to train and race with power. It is telling that a team with one of the largest budgets in professional cycling is racing with one of the most affordable power meters, and reportedly with good success. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com